Machine for digging



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MACHINE FOR DIGGING, CLEANING, AND'ASSORTING POTATOES.

No. 379,098. Patented Mar. 6, 1888.

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E. A. -& F. CAMERON.

MACHINE FOR DIGGING, CLEANING, AND ASSOR'IIING POTATOES.

No. 379,098. Patented Mar. 6. 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OrEicE.

EDWIN AUGUSTUS CAMERON AND FRED CAMERON, OF TIN MOUTH, VERMONT.

MACHINE FOR DIGGING, CLEANING, AND ASSORTING POTATOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 379,098, dated March 6,1888.

Application filed November 2, 1887. Serial No. 254,090.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN AUGUSTUS CAMERON and FRED CAMERON, citizensof the United States, residing at Tinmouth, in the county of Rutland andState of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Digging, Cleaning, and Assortiug Potatoes at one Operation;and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and'use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The special object of the invention is to make a machine which will atone operation dig, clean from dirt, assort, and gather potatoes.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan view of our invention; Fig. 2, anelevation in perspective of the gatherer, showing its bottom part; Fig.3, a vertical longitudinal median section on line 00 so of Fig. 1; andFig. 4'is a vertical cross-section on line 3 y of Fig. 3. I

In the dra wings, AA represent front wheels; B B, rear wheels, and O theconnecting-frame, in which, at the bottom thereofiis journaled the axleB of the rear wheels. The front axle, A, turns on the king-bolt D,passing down through the front cross bar or bolster, E, of the frame 0.

F is the shovel or lifting plow, which runs under the hills of potatoesand causes the potat-oes with the dirt to pass up to and out of its rearend upon the endless belt G, which is provided with the transversecarriers 9. The latter, together with the sides h hof the platform H,upon which the belt is moved, prevent either a backward or lateralescape of the potatoes, as well as of some of the dirt. The belt runsover the bottom roller, I, and the elevated drum J, carrying theterminal spurwheels j j. The latter gears with the end pinion, k, on ashaft, K, which carries eccentrics k k, to reciprocate the yokes L L,for actuating the shaking riddle M. The drum-shaft pinion j meshes withthe large spur-wheel N on the axle B. The wheelN may be connected withthe axle by a clutch, it, operated by a hand-lever, O, which projects upnear the (No model.)

sides of the frame, and then are bent back over the riddle at an acuteangle, to prevent the large or merchantable potatoes from jumping out atthe sides. The small potatoes pass down between the wires m to thelaterally-shelving board Q, inclined from the middle toward each side,so as to throw them on each side of the row which is being dug or plowedout. The large or merchantable potatoes pass longitudinally over theriddle M and fall through the opening 1' into the gatherer, in whosebottom is a stationary riddle or sieve, r, through which passes any dirtwhich may have accompanied them.

In the bottom of the gatherer Ris a springdoor, 4*, which automaticallycloses and keeps closed, being fastened by the spring-catch S, which isconnected by a cord,s, to a lever, T, near the drivers seat.

25 t are books and eyes which secure the gatherer to the body of thedigger.

Thus the driver opens the door to drop the merchantable potatoes in theopen furrow which has been plowed out, and the door is spring-actuatedto close itself. If desired, however, the potatoes may be taken out in abasket or other receptacle at the side by means of the slide-door U,when the rake 'V may be employed.

Under the rear end of the gatherer It, and at about the middle of saidend, is located the caster-wheel W, by which the gatherer may withfacility turn at short corners.

The shovel F may be adjusted by the holesshaft A, that is journaled inthe frame C. This shaft has also an arm, a, with an eye on its upperend, and this eye connects by a pivoted eyebolt with one end of a lever,C, while the other end of said lever connects by apivoted pitman, C",with the hand-lever C near the drivers seat. By this means the drivercan alwaysgive thedesired pitch or inclination to the shaking riddle ingoing up or down hill. Thedirt, roots, and vines will, for the mostpart, after passing over the rear of the shovel, pass out between thebelt and shovel; but what dirt and small pieces of root or vineaccompany the potatoes will be separated therefrom and passed throughthe shaking and stationary riddles.

Having thus described all that is necessary to a full understanding ofour invention, what we claim as new, and desire to protect by Let tersPatent, is

1. The combination, with the riddle M, of the guide-frame Z, havinggrooves z z and slots at in, the shaft A having cranks a a, journaled inthe frame 0, and the arm a, with an eye on its upper end, the lever 0,connected by a pivoted bolt with said shaft-eye, the pivot-ed pitman Oand the hand-lever 0, whereby the pitch of riddle in going up and downhill may be regulated, as set forth.

2. ln a potato digger, the shaking riddle M, consisting of the frame atand the transverse wires m, the latter passing through the oppositesides of the said frame and then bent back over the riddle at an acuteangle, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a potato'digger, thccombination, wlth a shaking riddle, M, of thegatherer R, having the opening 1', and the roofboard Q, in elincdlaterally downward from its longitudinal middle, whereby the potatoesmay be assorted, as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

EDWIN AUGUSTUS CAMERUN. FRED CAMERON. \Vitnesses:

B. E. HORTON, JOEL O. BAKER.

